Ten Years Too Late
by hpmagicluvrr
Summary: After Harry's breakup with Ginny, Prof. McGonagall announces a Halloween Ball is approaching. Harry decides to buy a suit from Diagon Alley, and lands up in California in the future! Harry must deal with his marrige, and falling for another woman. HHR
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: The Halloween Ball**

**A/N: Hi, I'm new to writing fanfiction so please review my story & give me feedback. I have some great ideas so I hope you'll keep reading. Thank you soo much.**

Harry Potter fluttered his emerald-green eyes and then slowly closed them, his thoughts rewinding until that horrible day. He was standing right in front of the Ginny he loved.**  
**

"Ginny, I can't afford to lose you. Voldemort is getting stronger, and the people I love will be a target to him. If something ever happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live with it. We can't be together anymore." He heard himself say.

He tightened his eyes to not let the water come flowing down. Ginny Weasley was the girl for him; he had found that out several months ago. With her flaming red hair that made Harry feel as though he was on fire, and her hazel-brown eyes, there was nothing to not love. Her sweet personality left Harry thinking about her all the time.

And of course, there was always Dumbledore. The Dumbledore that always made Harry happy. The Dumbledore that went through difficult journeys, looking for the horcruxes with him. The Dumbledore that taught Harry everything he knows about Voldemort and his past. The charming Dumbledore that wasn't there anymore to check on Harry every few days…

Harry abruptly opened his eyes to find himself in the beautifully decorated Great Hall. There was four long tables which represented the four houses: Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Harry's house, Gryffindor.

Students were everywhere, in their long dark robes. Their eyes were tightly fastened on Professor McGonagall, who was on top of the podium. She was wearing light green robes, which brought out the incredible color of her eyes. She also had a jet-black witch hat and a huge smile that meant there was an announcement that needed to be made.

Harry's eyes zoomed over to his right, and then his left. He recognized almost everyone at the Gryffindor table, and then forcefully gave a smile to his two best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Hermione was the bookwork type, always reading and studying for school. She was the smartest with Harry knew. Then there was Ron Weasley, who was funny, couldn't handle girls, and scared of everything. Sitting next to Ron, was Ginny, one year younger than himself.

"Something is definitely up. I've never seen Professor McGonagall in such a good mood after Dumbledore died. Us 7th years are really getting to her, too. She should learn to loosen up when she's stressed." Hermione nodded, adding a little chuckle at the end of her sentence. She turned to Ginny, who in a second, got engaged in another conversation.

"Yeah, surely. If it's anything, I hope it's a no homework and no detention strike," Ron agreed. He grinned and then turned to Harry.

"You don't think it's another ball, right?" Ron cringed at the thought of his own words. "I hope it's not like the Yule Ball. That was horrible."

"That's just because Mum gave you that ghastly looking dress robe to impress Padma with." Ginny grinned. Ron rolled his eyes and then frowned.

Harry laughed softly, not wanting to look at Ginny, and then focused his eyes on Professor McGonagall. She cleared her throat, scanned the room once more, and then was off.

"Good evening, students," she announced, taking a large gulp of air and placing her hands together in front of her.

"I have gathered all of you here tonight for a word about the next couple of weeks. As all of you know, things will have to change now that… D-Dumbledore has passed away. Nobody will ever replace Albus Dumbledore, but I can only hope to be a good alternative." She choked, looking down at her fingers.

"Hogwarts has decided to hold a Halloween ball this year. Students are allowed to dress up in costumes, and there will be a huge feast. Dancing will also be present. All students that are in 3rd year and above will be allowed to participate." She held a hand up to stop the groans and protests from the 2nd and 1st years.

A couple of the Ravenclaw and Slytherin girls erupted into squeals of excitement and starting whispering to each other, perhaps talking about who they wanted to be their date. He saw Ginny give a quick glance at him. Harry pretended not to notice and sat up straighter in his seat.

Ron gleefully looked at Hermione and gave her a told-you-so look. Hermione rolled her eyes and whispered, "I knew something like this would happen." She smiled at Harry. She brushed back a lock of her curly brown hair and gave a dazzling smile.

Harry personally hated parties that had dancing and dates involved, especially know that he broke up with Ginny. Would she go with someone else? Who was Harry going to go with? He didn't have time to deal with this right now.

"This will be taking place on October 31st, the day of Halloween. Not everyone will be required to attend, and not all have to wear costumes. Even so, it will be much appreciated if you come." Professor McGonagall added, and her strict face finally erupted into a beam.

"Girls that choose not to wear costumes will wear gowns, or dresses. Formal wear, to be specific," she recited. "The boys will be wearing tuxes, or suits. Dress robes are okay as well. If you have any more questions, come talk to me about it later."

Ron gave a loud groan, which caused Seamus Finnigan to leap from his seat. Professor McGonagall gave him a glare and Ron sank down into his seat.

"So now that this is done, let the feast begin!" Professor McGonagall boomed. She waved her hands and long stretches of food appeared on all of the house tables. There was every type of food you could imagine, including desserts, drinks, and veggies.

"Oh honestly, Ron. You're just acting that way because you have no girl chasing after you. You're not going to get a date." Hermione pointed out, pouring herself a glass of Pumpkin Juice and taking a plateful of mashed potatoes.

"Ha! You think I won't get a date? Let me tell you, I will. Just you watch." Ron got out of his seat. He marched right up to Lavender Brown. Hermione laughed as Ginny followed Ron and gave Hermione a wink.

"So, Harry, are you going to go to the Halloween Ball?" Hermione asked softly. She knew that Harry was still hung up over Ginny and that he might not want to go because she probably would be there. Maybe even with another guy.

Harry sighed and shrugged. "I might if I'm feeling okay. It's in a couple of weeks, right? So maybe." He took a sip of his tomato soup and looked toward Hermione.

"If you do go, who do you plan on asking?" Hermione asked, leaning in towards Harry. She had a huge grin on her face and she looked as though she was eagerly waiting his answer.

"Umm.. I don't know actually. Now that I.. with Ginny.. So… I don't know." Harry finally said, looked down at his plate.

Hermione's face fell instantly. She sat back in her seat and began drinking her Pumpkin Juice without another word. Harry looked away from Hermione and bit his lip. Did Hermione like him? Did she want him to ask her to the ball? No, no way, it couldn't be true. They were best friends - always. They told each other everything. Harry shook his head and excused himself from the table.

"I'm not feeling hungry anymore. I'll be in the common room, okay?" Harry got up and ruffled his shaggy black hair. He walked over to where Ron was standing.

"Ron! How'd it go?" Harry inquired, placing his hand on Ron's back. Harry had said this even though he knew Lavender had rejected him. His face was crimson red and his eyes were as wide as olives. His neatly brushed hair was completely messy and his jaw was hanging down low.

"She said no! NO! I've just embarrassed myself in front of all the girls! They were all laughing like they've just seen me with no pants!" Ron cried, "And not only that, Hermione's going to give me a huge lecture about how she knew this was going to happen."

"Ron, you've got to calm down. What did you say?" Harry asked, who couldn't help but erupt with amusement. He saw Ron's stern face and then quieted down after saying sorry.

"It's not funny, mate. I just walked up to her, asked her if she wanted to go to the ball with me, and she just turned around and said 'no'. A plain 'no', without any expression. I hate myself." Ron told Harry as he buried his face in his hands. His face softened down a bit after he took a seat next to Hermione.

"Look, Ron, I'm not feeling very hungry and I'm really tired, so I'll be in the common room, okay?" Harry said again, this time to Ron. He nodded, and Harry walked off.

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Meanwhile, Ron, still in a horrible mood, told Hermione about his encounter with Lavender. Hermione found this quite funny and started laughing right away.

"Oh, Ronald. When will you ever learn? You don't just go up to a girl and ask her to the ball. You have to compliment her, spend some time with her." Hermione explained. She stood up and patted his shoulder, "You'll learn someday, I hope."

"I've complimented Lavender enough and I've spent enough time with her. It's probably my teeth. Do I have something stuck in my teeth?" Ron asked.

Hermione chuckled politely.

"Fine then. Why Hermione, you look very nice today. I love your brown hair. Will you go to the ball with me?" Ron asked Hermione dramatically, getting down on one knee.

Hermione sighed and agreed to go to the ball with Ron. "I'll see you then. And just so you know, I agreed to go with you only because your act was very, _very _pathetic. We're just going as friends, okay?" She whirled around and gave him a forceful smile.

Ron mumbled, "Just as friends."

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Harry leaned against the wall and sighed heavily. He couldn't stand not being able to talk to Ginny and not spending time with her. He loved being friends with her in his 5th year and below, but ever since he had broken up with her, he couldn't talk to her, or even be near her. His heart would just crumble every time.

Finally, not knowing what he was doing, or what he was thinking, he ran out of the room, into the Great Hall and found himself face to face with Ginny.

"Ginny.. I-I want to talk. A lot. M-more than lot, I want to be f-friends again, maybe even more." Harry finally coughed up. He found himself very nervous and his palms were sweating faster and faster by the second. He walked a little closer to Ginny.

Ginny paused for a few seconds, finally processing his words. She sighed, and then put her hand on his shoulder gently.

"Harry, I really like you, and I've been thinking about what you said before…and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Namedwill be after everyone that means something to you. I don't want to be under that kind of danger. I'm sorry…" Ginny looked down and shuffled her feet. "I have to go."

Harry saw her running out of the Great Hall, tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm not going to lose her again." Harry murmured to himself. Without thinking, he ran after her again.

"Ginny! Please, wait!" Harry called. Ginny stopped running, and turned around. She was standing in the middle of the stairs. Her eyes were red and puffy and she quickly rubbed them with her hands.

"What?"

"Will you go to the ball with me?" Harry asked, breathing heavily. He took a gulp of air and looked straight into her deep, brown eyes.

Ginny bit her lip and looked straight at him, and opened her mouth to respond.

**A/N: Hmm so yeah I don't think this chapter's that great, it doesnt really have much to do with the story, but the next chapter will really start to pick things up. And seriously, Id love all of your guyses feedback, ideas, or something I could improve on. So i hope you liked it and review my story :) Thanks so much. I really want your guyses feedback. And btw, this is a H/Hr story for those who dont know.**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Something Gone Wrong**

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! I didn't get many reviews for my last chapter, so I'm hoping for more on this one. Remember, I'm new to writing fanfiction so I'd love your amazing feedback! You all are great writers ) Thanks soo much to the people who read this and review. Enjoy!**

"Harry, I can't. I told you already. It'll just put myself in so much danger. It's not what I want right now, or as a matter of fact, until Voldemort is dead," Ginny exclaimed, sighing, "Also, someone has already asked me."

Harry shook his head and sighed, "Y-You don't understand. I don't understand. All that I know is that we're perfect together. Come on, Ginny, everyone knows this."

"Not if you're going to have to face You-Know-Who. Not if I'm going with Michael Corner to the ball. Not if you're enemies with the darkest wizard known. Sorry, Harry, it'd never work out," Ginny cried, running up the other half of the stairs without saying another word.

Harry sighed and then took a seat on one of the stairs. Ginny was right, nobody was going to want to go with him to the ball. He knew that he was going to have to face Voldemort. Nothing could possibly change. He buried his face with his hands and slowly started crying. His breath came out in short gasps and he sniffed as tears came streaming down his face. Now his sobbing became louder, and by that time Hermione came running out of the Great Hall.

"Harry, what happened?" Hermione asked, true feelings hidden inside of her rosy cheeks. She sat down beside Harry. He didn't say or do anything but cry.

"Come on, Harry. Tell me. Please, I really want to know what happened," she whispered, her hand touching his face gently.

"Y-You wouldn't understand, Hermione," Harry said, lifting his head up to stare into Hermione's tan eyes, "Please. I need to be alone right now."

"Harry. Listen to me. I've been your best friend since 1st year. That's almost 7 years now. I think I can understand you. I understand you more than anyone else besides Ron. Please, just try me," Hermione said into Harry's ear.

Harry whipped his tears with his sleeve and began to tell Hermione about what happened with Ginny. At times, Hermione would shake her head or nod.

"Harry, it's not that Ginny doesn't like you. It's because she doesn't want to put herself in danger," Hermione told Harry. She placed her hands in front of her lap.

"How can you be so sure?" Harry asked. He touched his eyes and realized he wasn't crying anymore. Hermione really knew how to cheer someone up. He was glad they were best friends.

"I'm positive. I can ask her if you want. It'll just be a casual conversation," she replied. "Maybe it's time you look for someone else? Hey, I have a great idea. Why don't you come with Ron and me to the Halloween Ball? We could all just go as friends together, and you could meet some new girls, if you'd like."

"I don't know. I don't think I should be going to this thing. Ginny's going to be there with Michael Corner… and I'd just be hurt when I saw the two of them dancing together," Harry explained, touching Hermione's arm, "but thanks anyway. I feel better already."

"No, really! You should come. I _really_ want you to come. It'll just be like all of us together. Please," Hermione pleaded. She twisted her face into a smile.

"Oh, okay. Fine. I'll come, but I'll have to go shopping for a tux, and you know how much I hate shopping," Harry agreed, finally clearing the tears on his face. Hermione jumped from her seat and kissed Harry's right cheek.

"Great! I'll go shopping for my dress tomorrow at Diagon Alley. You can go tomorrow too, if you'd like. Not with me, though, because I like to go shopping alone." Hermione and Harry laughed, and they both walked up the stairs to the Common Room together.

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Even though Hermione had made sure that Harry had fallen asleep before going to her own bed, Harry was still awake. In fact, he had pretended to sleep just to make Hermione go away. As much as he appreciated Hermione right now, he had to have some time to himself.

Harry sighed heavily and knew nothing else could be done. He knew he could get about any girl he wanted, since he was "The Chosen One", but the only one he wanted was Ginny. Ginny Weasley. He pictured him, standing beside Hermione and Ron, watching Ginny and Michael dancing and laughing together. He cringed at the thought of them going together.

"At least Thanksgiving break is only four weeks away. The Burrow's better than here," Harry said to himself, sighing again. After a few minutes of laying in bed, he finally fell asleep.

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Harry rubbed his eyes, and felt around for his glasses. He got out of bed and looked out the window. The sun was shining through the window, and he could smell the fresh grass outside.

"Ron! I told you already, Michael's a great guy. You'd see that if you'd just give him a chance! You're not Mum, anyway, so I don't even know why I'd bother," Ginny screamed, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Ginny, he's horrible. Stay away from him, or, I'll tell Mum," Ron said, his face turning red. He turned and saw Harry, and waved.

"Hey." Harry smiled, walking back slowly so that they could finish their argument. He looked toward Ginny, but she had her hand on both of her hips and didn't look like she wanted to talk to anyone. Actually, Harry was probably the last person she would want to talk to.

"I'm getting out of here. Now you can go owl Mum telling her that I'm leaving the room," Ginny cried, running out. Harry chuckled to himself, and then walked over to Ron.

"So I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to buy a suit for the Ball before we leave. Hermione said I could go with you guys," Harry announced. Ron looked confused.

"Long story, mate. I had… a _thing_ yesterday. I'll fill you in later, but she said it would okay if I just tagged along with you."

"Hermione said that?" Ron asked, confused, "Well let her know that I say it's not okay."

"Ron, please. Either this, or I'm not coming at all." Harry said politely, giving him a stern look.

Ron nodded, "Fine, but I want some alone time with her. I-I think I may like her, Harry. I mean, I know how we're all best friends, but…"

Harry shrugged and changed into his clothes. Ron did the same.

"So are you coming with me or not?" Harry asked attentively. He looked around the room and saw that Ginny and Ron had made quite a mess of the place, throwing things around.

"Actually, I can't, mate. Hermione promised to help me study for our Potions exam on Monday. You should probably study for it too, I heard it was horrible. Hermione would probably help you too. She wouldn't mind." Ron told Harry.

"Nahh. I'll go shopping by myself, then. Shouldn't take much time, because I don't have anyone to impress," Harry sighed, once again thinking about Ginny.

"Come on, Harry. Try to get over it, please? It kind of is disgusting for me to see you gush all over her," Ron exclaimed, combing his hair.

"What are you getting all dressed up for, anyway?" Harry asked curiously, ignoring Ron's remark. He took a seat on his blue and white striped bed.

"I told you, Hermione's helping me study," Ron said, rolling his eyes. Harry gave him a look, and then shrugged, not wanting to get involved.

"Whatever you say," Harry smiled. It felt great to have two such perfect best friends.

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Harry pushed open the doors to Professor McGonagall's office and tiptoed in, not wanting to make much sound. His large, black shoes were making thumping sounds.

"Harry?" A squeaky voice echoed from behind him. Harry whirled around to see a confused Professor McGonagall standing by the bookshelf.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there, Professor," Harry apologized, moving closer. He rolled up the sleeves on his robes.

"It's quite alright. Is there anything I can do?" Professor McGonagall asked, now walking over and talking a seat at her desk. There were papers and books everywhere. Harry noted that since Dumbledore had died, the office had become a lot messier.

"I was wondering if I could use floo powder to get to Diagon Alley. I need to buy a suit for the Halloween Ball," Harry wondered. He saw her eyes flash a dark green.

"Of course, Harry. Hold on, let me just get some floo powder…" Professor McGonagall agreed, opening some cabinets. Harry patiently waited.

"It must be here somewhere. Oh, here it is! Ugh, things have gotten so out of hand ever since the tragedy. Professor Filch has to help out a lot. Be careful, Harry," she finally said, handing Harry and small pouch with soft powder. Harry gratefully took it and walked over to the fireplace.

"Thanks. I'll be back in no more than an hour," Harry answered. He poured out some of the powder and stepped into the dusty fireplace.

Harry cleared his throat and closed his eyes, "Diagon -" Harry cut off short. The dust was too overwhelming now, so he had to give a loud cough.

He then continued, "Alley."

He felt the world whir around him, like someone was sucking his soul out. His insides were squirming, and finally, with a thud he had landed. He stepped out of the fireplace and felt a big jolt. He opened his eyes, and there he was – standing in the middle of a mall. A mall that looked very civilized.

There were dozens of people walking around him, holding a lot of shopping bags. People were shouting and talking to their friends in hushed voices. There were stores on both sides of him.

Harry looked around him and noticed a store that seemed to be attracting quite a few people. There were fake palm trees, surfboards, and bikinis in the window. Harry's eyes skimmed the store and then made it's way to the top of the building. In large print, read the words:

**California's First Beach Shop**  
_**Since 1903**  
_

Harry Potter, his jaw hanging open and his eyes growing wider by the second, then realized, that he was in sunny **California**.

**A/N: Yayy! There it is, he's finally in California. Next chapter is FULL of surprises! PLEASE review ) It means soo much to mean. Thanks a lot, and I'll be posting the next chapter after a week or so. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Believe it or Not**

**A/N: I'm not getting like any reviews! 10, that's all. And really, I won't update the next chapter unless I get more reviews on this. So, please, review! Even if it's just like "good" or one word haha. Thanks so much to the people that review my story & add me to their favorite or alert list. Hope you like this chapter, I think it's a great one.**

"What the…" Harry quietly mumbled to himself, "What happened?"

Harry had never expected something so odd to happen. Actually, he didn't even believe that he was in California. He pinched himself several times to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He had expected to walk out of the fireplace and into Diagon Alley – seeing wizards, and witches; broomsticks and cauldrons. Not swimsuits and surfboards in the windows of beach stores. Not in a _Californian Mall. _

"What am I doing here?" He asked himself again. He shook his head and checked his watch.

Instead of seeing pale skin and not too much hair on his arms, he saw veins sticking out, longer fingernails, and long fingers. He had a lot more hair on his arms now, and his skin had definitely gotten a little paler.

"Something is definitely up," Harry finally said, "and I'm going to find out what it is. Right now."

He reached up and felt his hair. Once again, he expected to feel ruffled, moist hair from the hair spray he used everyday, but now he felt straight hair that was nicely combed into a pattern. He touched his small face, ran his fingers around his sharp nose, rosy lips, and then trailed up towards his eyes and felt he had no glasses.

"Where did my glasses go? Huh, that's funny, because I think that I have perfect vision," Harry examined. He looked at a board that was at least a couple yards away and recited it perfectly without squinting.

He ran across the mall, still not understanding what was going on. He might have messed up, of course, but not so bad that he ended up in another country!

He screeched to a hault in front of the bathroom. There were whiny babies and tall fathers standing in a line to use the restroom outside.

"I'm sorry, this is an emergency. Please?" He pleaded. The father agreed, and made a hand gesture as to go in front of him. Harry did as he showed.

"Thank you," He exclaimed nervously, before pushing open the heavy doors and looking from left to right, in search of a mirror.

He stopped dead in his tracks in front of the gold mirrors next to each of the sinks. There were flower designs engraved on the sides, and silver specks in each of the petals. It was beautiful. However, something not so beautiful was the picture inside the mirror.

Harry found himself looking back at an adult; rough, jet-black hair, electrifying green eyes with contacts, the same rosy cheeks he had during 7th year, and much paler skin. He was very tall; at least 5'7. He was wearing a collared dark green shirt that brought out the color of his eyes, and his pants were neatly folded at the bottom and were a dark shade of midnight.

Despite not even knowing why he was in California, or why he looked like a 30-year old, Harry couldn't help admitting how different he looked. How.. smart, and different he looked.

"Wow,"

He rubbed his eyes, and pinched his arm and looked at the mirror again. Still, the same image showed up.

"Is there something wrong?" A confused man asked behind him. Harry whirled around and found that there were at least ten people in the bathroom. They all probably were wondering how weird he was acting.

"Yeah. Actually, everything's great," Harry told them. He ran over everything that had happened today, but still couldn't put them together. There was something he didn't know; something that linked all of the other puzzle pieces together. After a few moments of useless pondering, he rushed outside to see if there were any more clues.

"Could I be in the future?" Harry asked himself. He shook his head. That couldn't be true; landing in the future using floo powder was un-imaginable. That wasn't possible; not even the most brilliant wizard or witch could do that.

Just then, a familiar voice rang from behind him, "Oh, Harry. I know you said you needed to go to the bathroom, but come on. We haven't found even one ring that looks good enough, and you know how important this is to me."

Harry spun around to find him in front of… Ginny Weasley. Her hair was loosely pulled up into a bun and she had sideways bangs that fell into her eyes every so minutes. Her eyes shimmered and Harry had noticed that she had two pierces on each ear. Her pink top had glitter as petals on the roses, and her skirt was brown and matched her top well. She looked more stunning then she had looked in their 7th year.

"Umm… sorry." Harry said, casually. He didn't know how he was supposed to act. What in the world was Ginny doing in California? Had she just said she was shopping for a ring? Harry needed at least five hours to himself to think about this. He laughed to himself quietly.

"What's so funny? Harry, are you okay?" Ginny asked. She leaned in closer and gave Harry and long, passionate kiss with a smile. After they broke apart, Ginny pulled him by the arm.

"Come on. I think I found a ring I like. I want to make sure that you like it too, before I make any decisions." Ginny lead him into a fancy diamond store.

This is what Harry had pictured heaven to look like. There were sparkles glistening from all of the rings and necklaces on either side of him.

"Here," Ginny said, picking up a small velvet box and opening it. It was small and silver, with a diamond heart and a pink glistening stone in the middle. Harry loved it.

"It's… b-beautiful," Harry said, smiling at Ginny. He brushed back her bang that fell into her eyes.

"You like it?" Ginny asked, blushing, "Because I like it. And that's really odd, because we usually never like the same things."

Harry laughed and nodded. _They were getting married_. _He was going to be a husband, and his wife was going to be Ginny_. Most importantly, _he was in the future_. He'd always dreamed of his future, wondering what it would be like, ten years later. Now, he was living in it.

"I love it. Let's get it," Harry said, anxiously. He didn't know how he was supposed to pay for the wedding ring, but he was going to have to figure it out. Maybe if he asked Hermione or Ron for some help? Fill him in on the details of his future life?

"Aww, Harry. I love you," Ginny told him. She gave him a huge hug, and kissed him on the cheek, "I'll just call Mum and tell her. Be right back."

Ginny reached in her pocket and took out her cell and gave a silent squeal. She turned her back to Harry, and walked off, talking to Mrs. Weasley.

Harry smiled to himself, and walked out of the store. He couldn't help loving his future.

"I thought my life was going to be horrible, but I'm engaged to Ginny, I look great, what else could possibly be better?" He said to himself.

He turned around, and sat down on a dented bench in front of the diamond shop. He saw Ginny jumping up and down, probably excited that Mrs. Weasley had said it was okay for her to buy the ring.

Harry looked in front of him, and saw tons of shoppers carrying bags, and smiles on their faces.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar laugh behind him, "Haha, yeah. I know! He's great. I can't wait until Sunday."

Harry turned around, and saw two girls, maybe about his age, giggling. He walked a little closer, and now he could see one of the girl's faces completely.

She had long locks of curly brown hair and light brown highlights. Her matching brown eyes were dazzling. Her cute nose and lips fit nicely on her face, and her million-dollar smile showed her straight, white teeth. Harry couldn't help but note that she looked strangely like Hermione Granger.

"Hermione?" Harry wondered out loud. He walked faster now, finally approaching her. He was positive that she was Hermione.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled. He ran up to her and gave her a hug and smiled, "What are you doing here?"

She gave a confused look to her friend and pursed her lips, "Harry?"

"Guess what? Ginny just found the perfect ring for our wedding. She's talking to Mrs. Weasley now." Harry told her, excitedly.

Hermione paused and quickly answered, sarcastically, "Why, are you guys getting married? That's nice, and congratulations. Let's go, Shahla, I still want to go to the bookstore."

Harry noticed her sarcasm and frowned, "What's wrong?"

"You." Hermione answered plainly. She turned back to Shahla, and laughed.

"Come on, Hermione. We're best friends… you've never talked to me like that before." He pointed out blankly. He turned around and looked through the diamond store, and saw that Ginny was still on the phone. He turned back to Hermione.

"Ha, It's funny how you call us best friends. That was what we were… ten years ago. Now, you're nothing to me," Hermione explained. She crossed her hands over her chest.

"Okay, now you're really confusing me," Harry sighed. He looked into Hermione's eyes and saw hatred and disgust.

"We haven't been talking for 10 years, Harry," Hermione shrugged, "so I don't see any reason why I should start talking to you now."

She walked off and brushed back her hair. Harry stood there, utterly confused. He knew there had to be something he could ask her. Maybe she could tell him how old they were?

"Hermione! Wait," Harry called after her. He ran a couple of steps and stopped right in front of her, "How old are we?"

Hermione threw her head back and laughed, "Is this a trick question? Because honestly, I'm in no mood for this."

Harry sighed, "It's not."

"Twenty-seven," She said, "Later."

Harry gave a deep breath and smiled. Other than the fact that he hadn't been talking to Hermione for ten years, he was 27 years old, and he was getting married. He couldn't wait to see what else his future had in store for him.

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"Harry! Harry. Guess what? Mum said we could buy the ring! She just wants to come see it, so we have to wait another week before we can actually buy it, okay?" Ginny cried, running up to him. She snapped her cell phone shut and put it in her purse.

"That sounds… great," Harry told her gently. He grinned and threw an arm around her shoulder, "So what's new?"

"Nothing much. Ron's really excited about the ring that he and Hermione found, and Fred and George have another couple of interviews next week; they're even coming on T.V, but nothing else besides that."

Harry shook his head, confused, "What do you mean Ron found a ring?"

"He and Hermione… for their wedding. Harry are you feeling okay?" Ginny asked. She stopped in front of him and touched his arm, "We can leave if you want. I know how much you hate shopping."

Hermione and Ron were getting married? Wow, this was a big surprise for him. Harry never had expected such opposites hitting it off, especially getting married.

"Umm yeah. C-can we leave?" Harry stuttered.

Ginny's face fell, but didn't want to disappoint Harry.

"Sure."

Harry nodded and walked beside Ginny. He ran everything that had happened today again in his mind, and finally a horrible thought occurred to him. Where were they going? Did they live together? Did he have a house? If so, he didn't know where it was, and he surely didn't know how to drive.

"I'm feeling a little lightheaded, so could you possibly drive?" Harry asked Ginny thoughtfully. She nodded, and they walked to the parking lot.

"So I was thinking… grilled cheese for dinner? Or we could have pasta," Ginny inquired. She opened the door to a black Mercedes Benz. Harry's jaw dropped.

"Whoa,"

"What?"

"N-Nothing," Harry quickly said, covering up his amusement. He opened his door and flopped down on the leather seat, "and pasta sounds great, if it's not too much work."

"Sure. Anything, Harry. Oh, I'm so excited for our wedding!" Ginny squealed.

"Me too, Ginny. Me too."

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"Ugh, remind us never to come to this mall again. The drive is sooo far," Ginny exclaimed. She adjusted her bun when she stopped at the light.

Harry chuckled and nodded, "Okay."

"So… Harry, I was meaning to talk to you, about this whole Ron and Hermione thing. I know that you've lost touch, but you really have to come with me. He's my brother after all." Ginny explained, softly.

Harry gulped, "Yeah, I wasn't sure about that either. I'll have to go though right? I mean, a brother of yours is like a brother of mine," He added with a smile.

"Yeah," Ginny grinned. She turned back to the traffic light in front of her, "Just a couple more minutes to go."

"Whoopee." Harry said sarcastically. They both laughed.

Harry felt the happiest he's ever been felt in more than five months. It felt great to be with Ginny after what happened, back where he really was living. Spending time with her made him realize how much he loved her company.

"Ginny. I love you," Harry said softly. He bit his bottom lip and stared into her deep eyes. It felt good to finally say that.

Ginny turned to him, smiling, "I love you too,"

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"Here we are, 4522 Gritler Avenue!" Ginny sang, jumping out of the car. Harry made note of the address for future reference. She had parked in front of a beautiful house. It was huge, with an off-white coating of paint on the outside, a sparkling green lawn with rainbow flowerbeds on the edges, and stones leading trespassers to the porch. There was another car parked outside of the garage, a silver Element. Harry couldn't help but grin. It was… his dream house, wife, and car.

"Come on, Harry. You only have half an hour before your job, and I don't want to make you late. I'll just steam the water for the pasta…" Ginny quietly said, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Job?"

"Yeah. Jonathan Bart said he wanted to interview you tomorrow. You know, ask you questions and stuff? He said he'll talk to you today at the Auror meeting." She flung her purse over her shoulder and opened the front door to their house.

Harry smiled. He was an _Auror_. He knew he could do it, even with his only okay grades. He was so proud of himself. He had accomplished almost everything he wanted in life. He was excited to go to his job and finally experience what it felt like to be an Auror. Harry just wasn't sure how he was supposed to act, or what he was supposed to know.

"Interview? For what?" Harry gave a confused look.

Ginny rolled her eyes and smiled at him, "Ugh, I know how you try to be modest, Harry, but really. The interview is for last year, you know, when you defeated Voldemort."

**A/N: Yay! I loved the ending. I could just picture Ginny saying that to the oldlooking Harry Potter lol. I hope you liked it, and if you did, please review! It lets me know how many people are actually reading this and liking it.**

**Thanks. It only takes a couple of seconds. I will post the next chapter only after I get some reviews. So PLEASE review.**

**+ Savannah**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: The Trio No More **

**A/N: Yay! Here's the next chapter. I barely got any reviews for my last chapter so hopefully on this I'll get more? Please review, it means a lot to me and makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. So yeah, please review!**

Harry could hardly believe his ears.

"I-I defeated V-Voldemort?"

Ginny nodded and roller her eyes jokingly, "Oh really, Harry. Please, don't be so immature. It's actually kind of funny now how you try to forget it. Actually, you should be celebrating! Oh, you better hurry… you've got to go soon."

Harry followed her up the gray stones into the front door. The house was huge, and had many doors leading to different rooms. There were tons of windows that brought sunlight into the house. The whole floor was a shiny shade of green, and the doors were made out of cherry wood. All of the rooms had been painted with colors that matched the furniture in the room.

_We're probably rich or something, _Harry thought to himself. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Harry, are you sure you don't want to go to the doctor? You've got this weird expression on your face, and you've been acting a little odd today." Ginny grinned. She ran over to Harry and threw her arms around his neck. Harry hugged her back.

"Just a little tired. You make the pasta, and I'll go get ready, okay?" Harry kissed her lightly on the lips and finally made his way to his room.

Once again, it was beautiful. The bed sheets were dark red and had a very ancient pattern on it, and the drapes matched perfectly. The wood on the floor and the color of the bed sheet looked exquisite together.

Harry made his way over to the closet, trying not to look at the room as if it was his first time entering this house. He didn't know what he was supposed to wear, what he was supposed to do at the meeting, most importantly – he didn't know where his office was. The last thing he wanted was to go to work and get fired not knowing what he was supposed to do.

"Hey, sweetie?" Harry called out. He saw Ginny run from the kitchen and into the room.

"Yeah?" Ginny asked. Harry could tell that she was worried. He grinned, letting her know that nothing was wrong.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just wondering if you could drop me off at work? I'm still feeling a little dizzy…" Harry lied.

"Still? Harry, are you sure you don't want to see a doctor? You shouldn't be feeling dizzy for so long. You've said that at least two hours ago," Ginny said, running over to him and putting her hand on his forehead. She shook her head.

"I don't think you're sick or anything," She added quickly.

"Yeah, I don't think so either. So yes or no?" Harry laughed, buttoning up his dark suit and checking his hair in the mirror.

Ginny nodded, "Of course, Harry,"

Harry grinned, "You're great, you know that?"

Ginny smiled, and turned away, not saying anything. Harry saw her cheeks fade to a light shade of pink, like the way Ron's ears did when he was embarrassed.

"Come in five minutes," She said plainly, and walked out of the room. Harry smiled to himself again and continued getting ready.

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"Yummy." Harry laughed, licking his lips. He scraped up the last bit of his pasta in his bowl and flashed a smile at Ginny.

"I'm horrible at cooking. You know that. Everyone does," Ginny explained. She stood up and took Harry's plate with hers.

Harry chuckled. He stared into Ginny's eyes for a couple of seconds and then she turned away. Harry loved it when she whirled around really fast and her flaming, red hair flew up behind her.

"Ron called earlier, but I was busy, so he said to call back. Would you do that? Or if you don't want to, I'd understand…"

Harry nodded, "I'll do it,"

Ginny looked a bit surprised and nodded her head. Harry stood up and walked over to the phone that was on top of a small desk on the other side of the room. Next to the phone, were stunning red roses.

"What's his number… what's his number…" Harry mumbled to himself, quietly. He searched frantically for a phonebook around him, and finally came up with a pink notebook that was labeled "Phone Numbers"

He opened the book hastily and searched through at least two pages before he got to the page. "Ron and Hermione" the book said.

He dialed the number, eager to talk to Ron. After a few rings, a voice that was very familiar sent through the line.

"Hello?" Ron asked politely, "Hello?"

"Hey, Ron." Harry said casually, trying to forget that they hadn't been speaking for ten years.

"Harry?" Ron said, surprised. Harry guessed that his eyes had popped out of his face when he had heard Harry's voice on the other side.

"I'm so sorry for everything that happened before. I really am. So how are you doing, Ron?" Harry asked gently. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for Ron's reply.

"Harry. You're acting like nothing happened, and something _did _happen – something big. Hermione and me aren't just going to forgive you. It's not that simple." Ron snapped.

Harry nodded to himself. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, but he didn't understand what had to be said. He didn't know what he was supposed to do.

"Ron…" Harry began quietly, a little hurt.

"I'm not going to act like nothing happened. Do you know how hurt we felt when you didn't tell us that you were just going to run off to Godric's Hollow and fight  
V-Voldemort without even telling us or asking us how we felt about it? God, Harry. You left us so worried and thinking about you all the time that I even flunked some of my exams! Hermione was _so_ hurt that you weren't going to tell her, but I was even more hurt. My best friend – who told me everything and everywhere he was going, forgot to tell me that he was going to fight V-Voldemort. Something you might've overlooked, Harry - Hermione and I wanted to come with you. Even if it would've put us in so much danger, that's how much we cared about you. So next time you try talking to us, you should probably think back to when you left with no words." Ron explained, his voice rising and lowering depending on his harsh words.

Harry cringed. _So that's why we lost touch. I ran off to Godric's Hollow to fight Voldemort without telling Ron and Hermione about it and not letting them come with me. Why in the world would I leave without telling Ron and Hermione?_

Before Harry could think of what to say next, he heard a click, and realized that Ron had hung up.

"How'd it go?" Ginny asked gently, walking over. She put her hand on Harry's cheek and gave it a little rub, "Things _will_ get better, I promise. I'm hoping maybe you can talk to them at the wedding?"

"Yeah, if they ever even look at me again," He pointed out blankly. Ginny took a seat next to him and tapped him on the shoulder. Harry looked straight into her eyes.

"It's not going to be easy, I know. You're in a really bad position – but please… try? For me?" She told him.

Harry nodded and forced a smile.

"I knew it. I know you _so _well," Ginny giggled, leaning in for a kiss. Harry gave a weak laugh and looked down.

"Listen. I don't think I want to go to work today. I just want to take it easy, you know? Maybe give Hermione a call this time? I want to try and settle things before the wedding." He smiled and brushed a lock of Ginny's hair behind her ear.

"Thanks Harry, if everything works out, it'll be great. I'll just call Carl and Jonathan and let them know," Ginny exclaimed, running over to the phone.

Harry needed at least a couple of hours to plan out what he was going to say to Hermione. Ron had probably told her all about their conversation, maybe even warned her not to even try talking to Harry. They were engaged, after all, which probably meant that they told each other everything.

He thought it over and finally decided that he'd try calling her after an hour or so. He plopped down on the fluffy white couch in front of the T.V. and watched Ginny run around the kitchen.

"Yeah, he won't be coming in today. He's not feeling too well," Ginny said quietly. She looked over at Harry and gave a wink.

Harry laughed quietly and switched on the T.V. After flipping through a couple of channels, he found something that was labeled 'The Wizarding World News' on the bottom right corner. There was a tall and skinny man in the center of the screen, pointing to what looked like a bulletin board. He had a thick mustache that covered most of his face, and a scary grin that showed his crooked teeth.

"Today, on the news, it's WWEN. That's Weird Wizarding Extended Network. We have some shocking news for you all," he reported. He turned his back and Lucius Malfoy appeared in a picture behind him. He looked a lot older than what Harry remember during his 7th year. His face was longer, and had more wrinkles, and of course his hair was almost completely white.

"Ever since Harry Potter, age 27, defeated Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy, who was the strongest supporter of Voldemort has been crushed. Therefore, he has decided to take his place, and is now The Dark Lord. More at eleven," he announced. His eyes twitched and the T.V. turned off.

Harry couldn't believe his ears. _Lucius Malfoy - now the Dark Lord?_ Harry was _so_ surprised. He never would've thought that after Voldemort had died, there would be a new one. He sighed heavily.

"What's up?" Ginny asked anxiously. She took a seat next to him.

"Lucius… he's now the new Voldemort," Harry told her.

Ginny sighed. "Oh, I knew this was going to happen. WWEN was predicting it, and I guess now it's final."

Harry nodded. "Well I guess everything's going to go back just as it was before when he was alive. We'll all just have to get used to it, right?"

"Right," Ginny grinned. She pecked him on the cheek and took her purse.

"I'm meeting Luna for about two hours. We're just going to hang out, maybe get some ice cream or something? I'll be back by… seven, just in time for dinner," Ginny said quickly. She scurried around the room and finally picked up her purse.

"Okay. Have fun," Harry told her. She laughed and left the room.

Without Ginny, there was absolutely nothing Harry could do. He didn't even know what he was doing in the future, or what exactly happened between him and Voldemort. He was clueless about _everything_.

"I guess I could call Hermione…" Harry whispered to himself. He nodded and decided he should do it. He wanted things to be right between them. Especially before Ron and Hermione's wedding, because he wanted to make Ginny happy.

He patiently dialed Hermione's number and waited through at least five rings before Hermione's sweet and knowledgeable voice rang through his ears again.

"Hello?" She asked. Her voice was polite and questioning, just like Ron had sounded.

Harry gulped and took a deep breath, "Hermione. It's me."

"HARRY! _What_ do you think you're doing, calling us? I told you already at the mall, I don't want to talk to you anymore. So before - "

"I wan't to start over. Make things right. You know, apologize? Just give me one chance… please," Harry pleaded, cutting her off.

Harry could hear Hermione's breath getting louder and louder. She paused for a second and simply answered, "Okay."

"Okay?" Harry repeated anxiously, "What do you mean, okay?"

"I'll listen to you. Go on." Hermione explained.

"I can't do this now. Not over the phone, I want to see you. Talk face-to-face. How about coffee tomorrow? Around eight?" Harry asked softly.

"Fine. Let's meet at Café Java," Hermione told him.

He told Hermione bye, and then turned the phone off.

Harry nodded to himself, knowing that Café Java would be his last hope.

_His last hope. _

**A/N: Yup. So the next chapter will be prettyy interesting eh? Keep reading if you really like it!  
AND PLEASE REVIEW. It means a lot to me. It takes like 4 seconds too so yeah please review reviewand review. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Coffee and the Beach**

**A/N: Wow, sorry this chapter took so long to write! I was stuck for a while, and then before I figured it out, school really started kicking in, but I'm really going to focus on this story because I think it's a hit! Haha I dont know but anyway, please read and review! TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! **

Harry rubbed his eyes and slowly opened them. He squinted suddenly, realizing that it was sunny and bright outside. Ginny had probably opened the windows and was already up and awake, making breakfast. He reached for his glasses on the table besides him and placed them softly around his eyes and nose.

He got out of bed and walked into the kitchen where he saw Ginny flipping pancakes. She gave him a smile and turned to face him.

"Up so late?" She giggled. She ran over to him and pecked him on the cheek. Harry laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, I slept pretty late yesterday," He told her gently. He sat down and reached for the newspaper.

"Oh, really? Doing what?" Ginny asked curiously. She took the pancakes from the stove and dropped them down on Harry's plate. They looked delicious, with a slab of butter melting at the top.

"Just nervous," Harry paused and took a deep breath, "I'm meeting Hermione at Café Java. She said she'd give me a chance to explain about… what happened."

Ginny nodded and shot him a "thank-you" look. Harry nodded in appreciation. He'd do anything for his beautiful fiancée Ginny, and to regain Hermione and Ron's friendship and trust.

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Harry slowly opened up the blinds in his bedroom and plopped on the bed. He took out a small blue shaped notebook, which he found on top of Ginny's dresser and opened it, revealing small blue lines and a pink margin. He took a black pen from the pencil holder on top of the desk and began scribbling.

If he was going to explain everything that happened, he needed a plan, and a backup plan. He pictured himself talking very fast, seeing Hermione's brown eyebrows curving as a sign of confusion, and then lastly, her running out of the café - crying.

That's what he didn't want to happen. He made a few notes about what to say and what not to say, and then finally he had a whole conversation written down. He felt confident, knew that he _had _to do this. He _had _to win.

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Harry checked his watch for the hundredth time that day. He sighed, noticing that there were still three hours before he was going to meet Hermione. He was very excited, because obviously talking to his best friend meant the world to him, but he was also nervous. Nervous for the outcomes of this get-together if it didn't go too well…

Harry shook his head, not wanting to think about Café Java. Ginny was going to be home any minute now, and she was going to drop Harry off at work.

Work meant being an Auror. Harry smiled to himself pleasantly. He didn't know what to expect, and he surely needed to know how to act like one.

At least now he knew that Lucius was the "new Voldemort". Maybe he'd have to look for him? He didn't know anything, but he knew that he was a fast learner.

The doorbell rang. Harry sprung up a bit from surprise.

Ginny's voice rang out instantly, "Harry! Come on, you've got to go!"

Harry got up from the couch and looked at Ginny. She was smiling and Harry could see her bright white teeth. She waved her hands as a gesture to come outside.

Harry followed her into the car. She gave him a long kiss and then started the car.

"So when are you meeting Hermione?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Four, right after work. I'll just take a bus or something," Harry told her smiling, "I actually have a good feeling about this."

"Aww, I'm so happy for you, Harry!" She screamed. She turned into a parking lot that was full of cars and then parked the car, "Here we are."

"T-Thanks. I'll give you a call when I'm done. Or I can just take the bus." Harry sputtered. He slowly got out of the car and watched Ginny drive away. His heart pounded so loud that he could hear it himself.

"I can't do this…" Harry told himself. He shook his head. He knew he couldn't do this. What if he messed up and then lost his job? He'd never want to get fired.

"Harry!" someone shouted behind him. He turned around and saw a tall, skinny man, probably about his age. He had dark circles underneath his eyes, a sharp nose, and strawberry-colored hair.

"Come on in. We have to get straight to your interview," he told Harry with a grin on his face.

Harry found his palms getting sweaty.

"Umm. Sorry, I can't do it today. How about next week? I'm really busy." He told the skinny guy as best as he could. He nodded, and walked away.

He smiled to himself, thinking it was a piece of cake.

Now all he had to do was call Hermione, tell her to meet him at Café Java earlier, and head straight on to the coffee shop.

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Harry had called Hermione and told her to meet him there about two hours earlier. She agreed happily, and told him that she'd meet him there. Now Harry was sitting in a cozy booth at the side of the store – in case there would be screaming – and was very confident.

Sure enough, it was 1:30 and Hermione, gorgeous as ever, walked through the doors. She was wearing a light gray wife-beater, with a brown sweater pulled tightly over her body. Her khaki shorts went excellent with her brown eyes. Her hair was wavy, and hung lose over her shoulders. She smiled, and walked up to where Harry was sitting.

"Hey," she smiled. She took her seat and looked at Harry.

"Hey," Harry answered back nervously. He felt his stomach doing flips and his face burn with embarrassment.

"I'm glad you called me to meet you earlier. I was extremely nervous in the morning and Ron wouldn't stop giving me confused looks. It felt good to be out of the house," Hermione chuckled to herself.

"Ron… Ron doesn't know about us?" Harry asked.

Hermione gave him a small smirk.

"I mean… about us meeting here," He added in. He felt his cheeks grow hot and red.

"No. He doesn't," Hermione looked down, embarrassed. After about a few moments of silence, Harry felt as though he should be the one to say something – to finally apologize.

"So listen…" Harry started, "I need to apologize."

Hermione looked surprised. Her eyes grew wide and she gave him a half smile, "Whatever for?"

Harry sighed, noting her sarcasm, "I know nothing will ever be as great as what we had during Hogwarts, but I have my reasons for leaving."

Hermione twirled her thumbs.

"I really wanted you guys to come with me to fight Voldemort. Truly, I did. But what if something happened to you? What if Voldemort killed you guys first? I could never live with that." Harry explained gently. He eyed the waiter who gave them both confused looks.

"True," she said blankly. She pursed her lips and took a short sip of her water.

"So…" Harry sighed, "Do you forgive me? I know I was pretty harsh on you guys, but I even missed work today to come and see you."

There was a moment of silence before Hermione broke out into a grin and leaped from her seat and kissed Harry on the cheek.

Harry felt the place where she had kissed him flame. His heart pounded and he finally broke out into a grin.

"Oh, Harry. I've missed you so much!" Hermione cried. There were tears of happiness flowing down her cheeks.

"I know. I've missed you too." His insides churned again. He felt his palms feeling sweaty, and he could feel the blood rising to his face. Why was he feeling like this? Did he have feelings for Hermione? Of course he couldn't; she would always be his best friend that he loved with all his heart.

"So… what'd you say we skip this and go to the beach? We can talk, hang out, and get an ice cream or hot dog…" Hermione asked softly. She got out of her seat and gave him a hand.

Harry smiled and nodded, "I'd love that."

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"Oh my god! I remember! And than you pretended to be Draco, and Pansy came up and kissed you? That was hilarious!" Hermione burst out laughing.

Hermione and Harry were walking down a California beach, eating ice cream cones, and laughing; talking about the old days. Harry loved this, obviously, because he was living in the present times. It was now five, and they'd been talking for over three hours.

Hermione looked absolutely beautiful. Her hair was in a high ponytail, which reached her shoulders, and her eyes were the deep brown of her hair. He couldn't help but notice that she looked even more stunning than Ginny. He shook his head, and snapped out of his little daydream.

"I also remember when Ron's mum sent him those ghastly dress robes and Parvati and Padma were too disgusted to dance with him!" Harry chuckled loudly, "That was a lot of fun. 4th year, wasn't it? The Yule Ball?"

"Yeah," she gave him a small smile, "Those days were all about fun."

"Hey. So tell me about yourself now. Ron, work…" Harry wondered out loud.

Hermione giggled and filled him in, "Well, Ron proposed to me about half a year ago. It was very romantic; he took me to this very beach – it's my favorite one – and set up thousands of roses around the beach, called a DJ, and it was just he and I. Dancing on the beach, and then he proposed. Got down on one knee… and oh Harry. I can't believe I'm getting married."

Harry felt a twinge of jealousy inside him, but not wanting to hurt Hermione, he gave her a fake smile, "Yeah, wonderful."

"You don't seem happy for me," Hermione stopped walking. She stood in front of Harry, her hands on her hips.

"It's just that… back in the days, you never had eyes for him, right?" Harry asked, curiously.

"Actually, no. But after you left, my whole life had collapsed. Ron was the only one I could turn to, the only one I could be with, you know? We grew closer and closer…" Hermione stopped, noticing what she had said.

Harry's eyes grew wide, "I hurt you that much?"

Hermione's face lit up again, happy that Harry hadn't realized her comment earlier.

"Yes, Harry, you did," she said, "but that's in the past now, and I'm really glad we settled everything."

"Yeah, me too." Harry looked down and shuffled his feet.

Behind where they were standing, two kids were running and laughing, playing tag. They ran, and ran until they crashed right into were Hermione and Harry were standing. Instantly they both came crashing to the ground.

Harry fell right on top of Hermione. Hermione squealed and then calmed down. She looked straight into Harry's eyes, and they both felt each other's gaze.

Harry looked into her deep eyes, and felt the urge to kiss her. _She looks so beautiful_, Harry thought. _Just kiss he. How will Ron ever find out? What if he does? He'll never forgive me. But wait; he never does have to find out. Hermione won't tell him. I won't tell him… _Harry's mind told him. Finally, without knowing what he was doing, he leaned in to kiss her – right there – on the beach.

**A/N: Ahhh cliffhanger! Please reviewww. I hope you guys liked that chapter. The next one will be up in NO time.**

**review review review **


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